Arkansas Lawyer Won't Seek U.S. Attorney Position

Tim Griffin, the former Rove aide pushed by Harriet Miers and Alberto Gonzales to replace Arkansas U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins says he won't seek the appointment because of the objections of Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy, who are leading the effort to block his appointment.

Tim Griffin, the former White House aide who has been at the center of a political storm over U.S. attorneys' firings, said yesterday that he will not seek the nomination to be chief federal prosecutor in Little Rock.

Griffin, 38, a military lawyer who previously worked for presidential adviser Karl Rove and for the Republican National Committee, was appointed interim U.S. attorney in Little Rock in December on the White House's recommendation. The Justice Department said it intended to nominate Griffin for the job permanently.

Griffin will remain interim U.S. Attorney until a new replacement is named. He said because of the opposition to his appointment, he won't subject himself to the "circus."

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TalkLeft contributor Last Night in Little Rock challenged Griffin's appointment in court, arguing that the "appointment" of Griffin violated Art. II of the Constitution and Sec. 541 of Title 28 of the U.S. Code.

As of last month, seven U.S. Attorneys around the country have been fired and replaced by political appointees without confirmation by the Senate. The requirement was abolished by a provision in the Patriot Act that allows recess appointments.

In San Diego, Lam oversaw the probe that resulted in the guilty plea of then-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a Republican. Two others connected to that case, including a former senior CIA official, were indicted two days before Lam left the job on Thursday.

Bogden in Nevada and Charlton in Arizona were also in the midst of investigations targeting current or former Republican members of Congress when they were fired.